In the field of personal computers, computers are typically made portable and may be carried from place to place. These computers are commonly referred to as “portable personal computers.” One type of the portable personal computers is typically referred to as “laptop” computers.
Typically, a laptop computer comprises a clamshell formed by a main body that includes a keyboard unit and a display unit. All of the essential circuitry of the computer, such as the central processing unit (CPU), the power supply, and data storage devices (e.g., floppy or hard disk) are typically incorporated into the main body. A laptop computer is typically a single, integrated unit. All of-the elements of the computer are placed within one housing. The display unit is typically connected to the main body by a hinge. The display unit is placed over the keyboard unit and can be opened upwards by the hinge. The integrated nature of the laptop computers is desirable because it enhances their portability.
One disadvantage associated with the laptop computer is that the laptop requires a relatively large surface space for the user to operate. This is due to the integrated nature of the laptop computers. Both the keyboard unit and the display unit are integrated parts of the computer and cannot be removed from the main body when in use.
There are times when a laptop is not appropriate or convenient. For example, in the field, a meeting, a classroom, or a courtroom, laptops become cumbersome, if not impossible, to use effectively when away from a table or other surface on which they can rest. Keyboard tapping can be intrusive and the open-out clamshell screen can present a barrier to personal interaction.
Tablet computers are intended to overcome these limitations. Tablets come in a variety of sizes and form factors—from clamshell laptops whose screens can pivot and lay flat to create a writing surface, to slim, slate-like devices that can use detachable or desktop keyboards and mice. What makes the tablet unique is their integration of pen and speech input capabilities with state-of-the-art laptop capabilities.
Laptops very effectively serve people who need a computer away from their desk. But a market exists and is growing for people who need a computer when standing. A laptop is not very useful when standing up. People need a mobile product, not just a portable product. Furthermore, Tablets are designed to be a user's primary computer.
In many ways, the tablet is the best of many worlds. Its form factor—roughly the size of a legal notepad and half the weight of most of today's laptop PCs—makes it a truly portable device. Because new operating systems are available that are specifically designed for this application, such as Windows XP designed for the tablet, tablets can support all existing applications without modification, making it as powerful as it is portable.
This makes tablets usable everywhere as a business tool that lets users work the way they want to work. Tablets have the capabilities and full functionality of a high-end notebook. Additionally, tablets allow users to literally write on the screen in a variety of modes, capturing the Brink” as its own data type. Users can use “ink” to take notes, write e-mail, annotate Word documents, PowerPoint presentations and a variety of other documents.
Mobile workers need access to information and communications. Existing PDA and notebook-clamshell implementations are not appropriate for all environments. Field engineers, surveyors, sales representatives, students, and healthcare professionals are just a few of the professionals that can benefit from an improved platform.
These particular customers have often experienced an industrial pen computing device, and are interested in devices with broader functionality to eliminate the need for two computers—a ‘real’ one at the office and a small form factor product in the field. To replace the ‘real’ one, any primary computing device must be able to run most Windows applications as well as legacy applications.
As laptops have become more powerful, they have become in part a solution to the two-computer problem. However, laptops do not address all the ergonomic and environmental concerns to become a true solution.
Most laptop computer systems are designed to connect to a docking station, also known as an expansion base. An expansion base is not actually a part of the laptop computer system per se, but is a separate unit that accommodates the laptop. The laptop electrically connects to the expansion base. Because of inherent size and weight restrictions, laptop computers tend to require design tradeoffs such as small keyboards and graphics displays, crude tracking devices, and a limited number of mass storage devices. Expansion bases may include peripheral devices, such as a DVD ROM drive and a keyboard, turning the laptop computer into a desktop system. Accordingly, laptop users can access valuable features such as additional peripheral components including a large graphics display, a traditional mouse and full-size keyboard, hard and floppy disk drives, CD ROM drives, Digital Video Disk (DVD) drives, and other peripheral components. An expansion base may offer connections to local area network (LAN), printers, and modems. Although intended primarily for desktop operation, the utilization of expansion bases has greatly enhanced the usability and comfort of laptop computer systems, especially when the laptop is used frequently in one location, such as in the home or office.
Despite the apparent advantages an expansion base can offer to many laptop computer systems, docking a laptop to such a device often results in conflicts between the expansion base and the laptop required. As a result, the computer users must shutdown and restart their laptop. Often taking several minutes. To date, no one has designed a computer system that overcomes these deficiencies.
It would be desirable to have a functional ergonomic, environmentally sound, plug and play computing device that eliminates the need for shutting down and restarting the computer.
Furthermore, it would be advantageous to use an environmentally hardened touch screen or input pen to eliminate the need for a keyboard, thus allowing the computing device to serve as a work surface.
Finally, it would also be advantageous to be able to couple a plug-and-play computing device to an expansion base in any orientation, thus allowing the device to surface as a functional computer tablet that can be oriented in either a landscape or portrait mode.
Although tablets offer many advantages, many users will be reluctant to move into this tablet concept. These users must be eased into the tablet concept. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a tablet that can function identically to a laptop, with a fold-up screen and keyboard.
Furthermore, if the display unit can be detached from this keyboard, the screen may more effectively be used for presentations. Instead of a pure tablet, it would be desirable to convert between a notebook and a tablet. This allows users to get used to the writing behavior by sometimes writing, sometimes typing.